Nano-Mechanical Systems

In the NMS theme TST-researchers Tas, Jansen, Berenschot, van Honschoten and their students and post-docs collaborate to further develop nanoscience and technology with the long term goal to contribute to improving the quality and sustainability of human life. Our approach is based on the machining of silicon, glass and thin film materials using techniques originally developed for the microelectronics industry. The functional nanostructures that we can create encompass ultra-thin membranes, nano-wires, nano-apertures, nano-pores, nano-crystals, nano-needles. In the past years we have started to apply these structures in the emerging application fields of renewable energy, clean water and health.

Nanotechnology for sustainable life

In recent history human population on our planet has grown drastically, leading to unprecedented demands for energy, food and clean water. The fast increase in population is closely related to the transition from a mainly rural society to a high degree of urbanization. This was one of the key provisions for the rise of modern science. On the other hand, the development of natural sciences, engineering and medical sciences was a prerequisite for the acceleration of this transition and the subsequent growth of the global population. With a prediction of a total human population of 9 billion people in 2040 it has become clear that sustainability and improvement of the quality of human life poses great challenges to the world community, which can only be met by and, as we explained, are intimately linked to ingenious technological developments. It is our ambition to contribute to these developments through our research in nanoscience and technology with a focus on clean water, sustainable energy and improved health. Research will build on and combine our expertise in nanofabrication, nanofluidics, nanomechanics, and energy transduction. The NMS theme has close collaborations with several groups and companies in and outside the MESA+ Institute and the wider UT-community.

Clean Water: While it is still an open question if nanotechnology as we know it now will ever be incorporated in large scale water purification and desalination systems, it is our conviction that the superior dimensional control of silicon based nano-structures can play a key role in fundamental research in the field of physical chemistry of confined water. The gained fundamental knowledge is essential for improvement of existing and the development of new filtration techniques. In addition, the unique properties of silicon based nano-membrane technology may already soon become beneficial for small scale water purification systems. Up-scaling to large volume filtration or desalination systems of course is a different game which will require new materials and large scale nanofabrication approaches which should best be developed in an industrial setting.

The viscosity of water in nano-confinement

Negative pressure in capillary water

Sustainable energy: Nanoscience focuses on understanding the small. It is maybe hard to imagine how it can contribute significantly to help solve the approaching energy crisis, where problems are described in terms of Tera Watts rather than micro Watts like in micro and nanosystems. In our vision nanoscience will help to discover new materials, structures and systems for efficient energy conversion. Upscaling again should be done in an industrial setting through device, material and production innovations. A good example is the development of solar photovoltaic cells, which initially built on silicon microelectronic technology. Solar cells are now produced in square meters in new industrial processes through large area thin film deposition on metal foil substrates.

Solid-acid Fuel Cell

Health: There are several key areas in which nanoscience and technology can contribute to improved health. Think about new techniques to administer drugs, diagnostic chips, electrical stimulation of the nervous system, new experimental techniques to study diseases and to test new drugs, and new tools to synthesize drugs. Currently there are a few of these areas in which we are active.

Detecting homeostatic disbalance is a first step in improving health of an individual. Nanotechnology provides new diagnostic tools, for example through electrospray interfacing of chromatographic systems to the mass spectrometer. In this area we closely collaborate with the Analytical Biosciences Division of the University of Leiden / LACDR led by Prof. Thomas Hankemeier, and participate in the Netherlands Metabolomics Centre.

Nanotechnology can also contribute to new therapeutic techniques like automated drug delivery systems and components. One such component is a silicon based micro-needle, which can be made extremely sharp, leading to pain free penetration of the skin. The NMS theme closely collaborates with a new spin-off company (U-Needle BV) in the development of silicon based micro-needles for drug delivery and beyond.

Electrospray for ionization and MS analysis of biomolecules

Atomically sharp microneedles for drug delivery

Functional tips for AFM based liquid delivery (Vidi program NT: “FunTips”)

Basic Science and Technology: In these projects we explore new nanofabrication techniques and new device concepts that are essential to further strengthen our research program. Important themes are fabrication of 3D-nanostructures and resonating nano-structures for filtering and sensing purposes.

Capillary Origami (Veni Grant JvH)

Fabrication of NIL templates by edge lithography

Fluidic Interconnects

Corner lithography for advanced probe manufacturing and beyond

Functional tips for SPM of dynamic processes (Vidi program NT: “FunTips”)

Nanoresonators for electromechanical filtering

Selected Publications:

N.R. Tas, M. Escalante, H.V. Jansen, J.W.van Honschoten, M. Elwenspoek, Capillary Negative Pressure Measured by Nanochannel Collapse, Langmuir 26 (2010), 1473 – 1476.

S. Unnikrishnan, H.V. Jansen, F.H. Falke, N.R. Tas, H.A.G.M. van Wolferen, M.J. de Boer, R.G.P. Sanders, M.C. Elwenspoek, Transition flow through an ultra-thin nanosieve, Nanotechnology 20 (2009), 305304 (6pp).

Y. Zhao, E. Berenschot, H. Jansen, N. Tas, J. Huskens, M. Elwenspoek, Sub-10 nm silicon ridge nanofabrication by advanced edge lithography for NIL applications, Microelec. Eng. 86 (2009), 832 – 835.

J.W. van Honschoten, M. Escalante, N.R. Tas, M. Elwenspoek, Formation of liquid menisci in flexible nanochannels, J. Coll. Interf. Sci. 329 (2009), 133 – 139.

K.G.H. Jansen, H.T. Hoang, J. Floris, J. de Vries, N.R. Tas, J.C.T. Eijkel, Th. Hankemeier, Solution titration by wall deprotonation during capillary filling of silicon oxide nanochannels, Anal. Chem. 80 (2008), 8095 – 8101.

J. Haneveld, N.R. Tas, N. Brunets, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, Capillary filling of sub-10 nm nanochannels, J. Appl. Phys. 104 (2008) 014309.

E. Berenschot, N.R. Tas, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, 3D-Nanomachining using corner lithography, 3rd IEEE Int. Conf. on Nano/Microengineered and Molecular Systems (NEMS) (2008) 729 -732

J.W. van Honschoten, M. Escalante, N.R. Tas, H.V. jansen, M. Elwenspoek, Elastocapillary filling of deformable nanochannels, J. Appl. Phys. 101 (2007), 094310.

S. Deladi, N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, G.J.M. Krijnen, M.J. De Boer, J.H. De Boer, M. Peter, M.C. Elwenspoek, Micromachined fountain pen for atomic force microscope-based nanopatterning, Applied Physics Letters 85 (2004) 5361-5363.

N.R. Tas, J. Haneveld, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den Berg, Capillary filling speed of water in nanochannels, Applied Physics Letters 85 (2004) 3274-3276.

N.R. Tas, P. Mela, T. Kramer, J.W. Berenschot, A. Van Den Berg, Capillarity Induced Negative Pressure of Water Plugs in Nanochannels, Nano Letters 3 (2003), 1537-1540.

J. Haneveld, H. Jansen, E. Berenschot, N. Tas, M. Elwenspoek, Wet anisotropic etching for fluidic 1D nanochannels, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 13 (2003) S62-S66.

N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, P. Mela, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den

Berg, 2D-Confined Nanochannels Fabricated by Conventional Micromachining, Nano Letters 2 (2002), 1031-1032.

J.W. Berenschot, N.R. Tas, T.S.J. Lammerink, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den Berg, Advanced sacrificial poly-Si technology for fluidic systems, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 12 (2002) 621-624.

N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, T.S.J. Lammerink, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van den Berg, Nanofluidic bubble pump using surface tension directed gas injection, Analytical Chemistry 74 (2002), 2224-2227.

	Faculty EEMCS > TST- Homepage > Research > Nano-Mechanical Systems
<< Faculty EEMCS Home Members Research Education Publications News Vacancies Intranet (members only) UT Practical Info MESA+ IMPACT Sitemap Search Print version	Sensors \| Actuators \| Nano-Mechanical Systems \| Micro Fluidics \| Micro Fabrication \| Probe recording and microscopy Nano-Mechanical Systems In the NMS theme TST-researchers Tas, Jansen, Berenschot, van Honschoten and their students and post-docs collaborate to further develop nanoscience and technology with the long term goal to contribute to improving the quality and sustainability of human life. Our approach is based on the machining of silicon, glass and thin film materials using techniques originally developed for the microelectronics industry. The functional nanostructures that we can create encompass ultra-thin membranes, nano-wires, nano-apertures, nano-pores, nano-crystals, nano-needles. In the past years we have started to apply these structures in the emerging application fields of renewable energy, clean water and health. *Nanotechnology for sustainable life* In recent history human population on our planet has grown drastically, leading to unprecedented demands for energy, food and clean water. The fast increase in population is closely related to the transition from a mainly rural society to a high degree of urbanization. This was one of the key provisions for the rise of modern science. On the other hand, the development of natural sciences, engineering and medical sciences was a prerequisite for the acceleration of this transition and the subsequent growth of the global population. With a prediction of a total human population of 9 billion people in 2040 it has become clear that sustainability and improvement of the quality of human life poses great challenges to the world community, which can only be met by and, as we explained, are intimately linked to ingenious technological developments. It is our ambition to contribute to these developments through our research in nanoscience and technology with a focus on clean water, sustainable energy and improved health. Research will build on and combine our expertise in nanofabrication, nanofluidics, nanomechanics, and energy transduction. The NMS theme has close collaborations with several groups and companies in and outside the MESA+ Institute and the wider UT-community. *Clean Water: While it is still an open question if nanotechnology as we know it now will ever be incorporated in large scale water purification and desalination systems, it is our conviction that the superior dimensional control of silicon based nano-structures can play a key role in fundamental research in the field of physical chemistry of confined water. The gained fundamental knowledge is essential for improvement of existing and the development of new filtration techniques. In addition, the unique properties of silicon based nano-membrane technology may already soon become beneficial for small scale water purification systems. Up-scaling to large volume filtration or desalination systems of course is a different game which will require new materials and large scale nanofabrication approaches which should best be developed in an industrial setting. The viscosity of water in nano-confinement* Negative pressure in capillary water *Sustainable energy: Nanoscience focuses on understanding the small. It is maybe hard to imagine how it can contribute significantly to help solve the approaching energy crisis, where problems are described in terms of Tera Watts rather than micro Watts like in micro and nanosystems. In our vision nanoscience will help to discover new materials, structures and systems for efficient energy conversion. Upscaling again should be done in an industrial setting through device, material and production innovations. A good example is the development of solar photovoltaic cells, which initially built on silicon microelectronic technology. Solar cells are now produced in square meters in new industrial processes through large area thin film deposition on metal foil substrates. Solid-acid Fuel Cell* *Health: There are several key areas in which nanoscience and technology can contribute to improved health. Think about new techniques to administer drugs, diagnostic chips, electrical stimulation of the nervous system, new experimental techniques to study diseases and to test new drugs, and new tools to synthesize drugs. Currently there are a few of these areas in which we are active. Detecting homeostatic disbalance is a first step in improving health of an individual. Nanotechnology provides new diagnostic tools, for example through electrospray interfacing of chromatographic systems to the mass spectrometer. In this area we closely collaborate with the Analytical Biosciences Division of the University of Leiden / LACDR led by Prof. Thomas Hankemeier, and participate in the Netherlands Metabolomics Centre. Nanotechnology can also contribute to new therapeutic techniques like automated drug delivery systems and components. One such component is a silicon based micro-needle, which can be made extremely sharp, leading to pain free penetration of the skin. The NMS theme closely collaborates with a new spin-off company (U-Needle BV) in the development of silicon based micro-needles for drug delivery and beyond. Electrospray for ionization and MS analysis of biomolecules* Atomically sharp microneedles for drug delivery Functional tips for AFM based liquid delivery (Vidi program NT: “FunTips”) *Basic Science and Technology: In these projects we explore new nanofabrication techniques and new device concepts that are essential to further strengthen our research program. Important themes are fabrication of 3D-nanostructures and resonating nano-structures for filtering and sensing purposes. Capillary Origami (Veni Grant JvH)* Fabrication of NIL templates by edge lithography Fluidic Interconnects Corner lithography for advanced probe manufacturing and beyond Functional tips for SPM of dynamic processes (Vidi program NT: “FunTips”) Nanoresonators for electromechanical filtering *Selected Publications:* N.R. Tas, M. Escalante, H.V. Jansen, J.W.van Honschoten, M. Elwenspoek, Capillary Negative Pressure Measured by Nanochannel Collapse, Langmuir 26 (2010), 1473 – 1476. S. Unnikrishnan, H.V. Jansen, F.H. Falke, N.R. Tas, H.A.G.M. van Wolferen, M.J. de Boer, R.G.P. Sanders, M.C. Elwenspoek, Transition flow through an ultra-thin nanosieve, Nanotechnology 20 (2009), 305304 (6pp). Y. Zhao, E. Berenschot, H. Jansen, N. Tas, J. Huskens, M. Elwenspoek, Sub-10 nm silicon ridge nanofabrication by advanced edge lithography for NIL applications, Microelec. Eng. 86 (2009), 832 – 835. J.W. van Honschoten, M. Escalante, N.R. Tas, M. Elwenspoek, Formation of liquid menisci in flexible nanochannels, J. Coll. Interf. Sci. 329 (2009), 133 – 139. K.G.H. Jansen, H.T. Hoang, J. Floris, J. de Vries, N.R. Tas, J.C.T. Eijkel, Th. Hankemeier, Solution titration by wall deprotonation during capillary filling of silicon oxide nanochannels, Anal. Chem. 80 (2008), 8095 – 8101. J. Haneveld, N.R. Tas, N. Brunets, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, Capillary filling of sub-10 nm nanochannels, J. Appl. Phys. 104 (2008) 014309. E. Berenschot, N.R. Tas, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, 3D-Nanomachining using corner lithography, 3rd IEEE Int. Conf. on Nano/Microengineered and Molecular Systems (NEMS) (2008) 729 -732 J.W. van Honschoten, M. Escalante, N.R. Tas, H.V. jansen, M. Elwenspoek, Elastocapillary filling of deformable nanochannels, J. Appl. Phys. 101 (2007), 094310. S. Deladi, N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, G.J.M. Krijnen, M.J. De Boer, J.H. De Boer, M. Peter, M.C. Elwenspoek, Micromachined fountain pen for atomic force microscope-based nanopatterning, Applied Physics Letters 85 (2004) 5361-5363. N.R. Tas, J. Haneveld, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den Berg, Capillary filling speed of water in nanochannels, Applied Physics Letters 85 (2004) 3274-3276. N.R. Tas, P. Mela, T. Kramer, J.W. Berenschot, A. Van Den Berg, Capillarity Induced Negative Pressure of Water Plugs in Nanochannels, Nano Letters 3 (2003), 1537-1540. J. Haneveld, H. Jansen, E. Berenschot, N. Tas, M. Elwenspoek, Wet anisotropic etching for fluidic 1D nanochannels, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 13 (2003) S62-S66. N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, P. Mela, H.V. Jansen, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den Berg, 2D-Confined Nanochannels Fabricated by Conventional Micromachining, Nano Letters 2 (2002), 1031-1032. J.W. Berenschot, N.R. Tas, T.S.J. Lammerink, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van Den Berg, Advanced sacrificial poly-Si technology for fluidic systems, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 12 (2002) 621-624. N.R. Tas, J.W. Berenschot, T.S.J. Lammerink, M. Elwenspoek, A. Van den Berg, Nanofluidic bubble pump using surface tension directed gas injection, Analytical Chemistry 74 (2002), 2224-2227.